Lt. Colonel Muthaliph killing:

Was it the work of a Secret group?

BY ASANGA Warnakulasuriya

THE Police probe into the assassination of Commanding Officer of the Military Intelligence Corps Lt. Colonel Nizam Muthaliph took a new turn yesterday with the latest evidence pointing to the possible hand of a secret organisation behind the plot.

However, despite the new evidence, investigators have not dropped the LTTE as a prime suspect in the slaying.

The new evidence was put together based on certain material uncovered by sleuths from the residence of the slain colonel, during their investigations.

"Investigations have shed new light into the killing," a senior Police official told the Daily News, on condition of anonymity.

Investigators suspect that Lt. Colonel Muthaliph would have been working on intelligence reports relating to a secret organisation operating with the backing of a certain chauvinist political organisation.

Police sleuths are also looking for clues to ascertain the real motive behind the killing and to establish whether this was linked to certain crucial political decisions that are being anticipated in the coming days.

According to Police, it was revealed that investigators are also working on several fronts on the LTTE angle, one of which is said to have been connected with the abduction of the former Mt. Lavinia Anti-Terrorist Unit Inspector T. Jeyaratnam, on April 20.

Inspector Jeyaratnam who had worked closely with the Intelligence Services went missing on April 20 after a dinner with one of his close friends identified as "Mano". The LTTE is suspected of abducting the ex-intelligence officer.

Inspector Jeyaratnam's wife, Sarala had complained to Police that her husband who had left with his friend saying he was going to spend the night at the Police Field Force Headquarters, never returned.

Police are looking at the possibility where the abducted officer may have leaked information relating to the military intelligence to the LTTE, under duress.